And the British taste Portugal. And they like it!

"The British public begun to realize that Portugal is not just sun, sea and good weather but also a Country that holds other attractive aspects like food, nature, cultural tourism and a number of other attractions and services that the British tourists are recently getting to know better," said Cecilia Meireles, Portugal Tourism State Secretary.  

Traditionally, British tourists enjoy areas of the Algarve region and Madeira island but the tourism campaign of other regions begin to deliver results.
"Although there is a very substantial tourism growth  in these regions, the truth is that there are other regions, such as the Alentejo and the center of Portugal that are beginning to feel the effect of our campaign, as they are receiving more British tourists nowadays.

Below, the video for 2011 tourism promotion, with the campaign: "The Beauty of Simplicity"  It is quite obvious that the Portuguese are decided to showcase their country as a cultural and adventure spot just as well as having fantastic beaches and good weather.

                                       





After a fall of 2.3 percent in overnight stays between 2009 and 2010, the number of British travellers rose 18.5 percent from 2010 to 2011, more than double of the national average (8.1 percent).
The Portuguese Tourism Office launched last year the campaign  "Prove Portugal," (Taste  Portugal) as a way to enrich and differentiate Portugal attractions from the other 'Beach and Sun" destinations in Europe.  This is definitely an appeal for the food, the wine and an attempt of putting Portugal on the map as the country that has the best fish in the world.
Watch below the promotional video of the campaign:

But the tourist must observe that there are other attractions and new tourism segments, such as the nature and new trends such as bird watching, besides the strong cultural appeal.  Watch the video below about birdwatching in southern Portugal.

Original article adapted and modified by C. Jacobs. 

Faro, Portugal - What to do in there?

First time I visited Portugal I stayed in the Algarve and spent 10 days travelling their cities, villages and hamlets from Faro to Sagres.  I collected some good experiences and could enjoy wonderful food and learn a lot about the city's past and important role in the South of Portugal just by strolling on the streets, going inside the museums and churches. 


It is a shame so many tourists only go to Faro because of Faro International Airport, they don't know what they are missing! Below, some pictures I took during my trip. Hope to see you there soon! 

One of the many Shopping Streets in Faro

Café Aliança is the oldest café in town and of huge cultural traditions. It occupies the ground floor of the building built by Jose Pedro da Silva constituting on the whole an interesting testimony to the revivalist architecture.  In addition to the main entrance and another at the rear, it also features a side entrance that allows access through the kiosk.
Café Aliança, which recently celebrated one hundred years, is amongst the three oldest cafés in the country, along with A Brasileira in Lisbon, and the Majestic in Porto.

Known for its social gatherings, the café was a meeting point for distinguished people such as Fernando Pessoa, Marguerite Yourcenar and Simone de Beauvoir.

Capela dos Ossos

"The Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones, is one of the most eccentric and unusual attractions in Faro. This chapel was built in the nineteenth century and is lined with human skulls. Over 1200 human skulls, in fact. This makes it one of the most morbid attractions in the area, but also the one that is the most interesting. Aside from this grim attraction, the chapel is also known for its beautiful Gothic and Renaissance architectural style which should be of interest to anyone who is a fan of nineteenth century architecture or history." (source: click here)

Indeed this Chapel of Bones is something really weird!  Check this other photo I took 

Arco da Vila, one of the 3 medieval Portal Entrances of the city 

In the Historic Centre of Faro is very compact -  you can visit basically all the important spots in one day and besides that, you can also go on a boat tour of the beautiful Ria Formosa.

"Since the mid-eighties, the Ria Formosa has been a nature reserve, where sea water birds find protected breeding places and many fish species of the Northern Atlantic as well as other marine organisms reproduce." (via Algarve Portal)

You also have the Faro Archeological Museum, Maritime Museum, The City Cathedral etc.

Don't forget to enjoy some hot chestnuts sold on the streets of Faro! 

  

And if you speak Portuguese or study the language, Faro is an excellent place to try what you know.  Unlike Albufeira, Lagos and other popular tourist spots in the Algarve, there you walk on the streets feeling the very almost intact Southern Portuguese spirit - the shops have their signs written in Portuguese (bless!) and everyone in the bars, cafés and "pastelarias" speaks Portuguese.   :)     

Next time you visit the Algarve, don't miss out Faro!  And if you live near Southend on Sea, you can fly to Faro from Southend Airport from April 2012 !  Woo-hoo !